Sonic Forces: The Final Battle
| released = | genre = Platform | modes = Single-player | director = Gareth Edwards Mel Gibson | producer = Kathleen Kennedy J. J. Abrams Jonathan Goldstein John Francis Daley Simon Kinberg Seth Grahame-Smith David Katzenberg Chris McKay Denise Di Novi Takashi Iizuka | designer = | programmer = Hiroki Tokunaga | artist = | writer = Story: Max Borenstein Michael Dougherty Chris Buck Geoff Johns Screenplay: Michael Dougherty Chris McKenna David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick Jennifer Lee David Henry Hwang | composer = Rupert Gregson-Williams Lorne Balfe }}Sonic Forces: The Final Battle is a platform video game developed by Sonic Team, Rocksteady Studios and High Moon Studios and published by Sega, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Activision for Microsoft Windows, it was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2017. The story sees Sonic the Hedgehog Sr II defeated and sent into Cybertron by Sigma, who manages to began the Maverick Wars in Sonic Sr II's absence. Six months later, Sonic Sr II is rescued by Mega Man X and Zero, joined by his friends, the Keyblade wielders, King Mickey, Cynder Jr and Classic Sonic, joins the U.S. Military forces and Maverick Hunters to stop Maverick Sigma and end the Maverick Wars. It features three gameplay modes: "Classic", side-scrolling gameplay similar to the original Sega Genesis Sonic games; "Sonic Sr II", 3D gameplay similar to Sonic Unleashed (2008) and Sonic Colors (2010); and a third gameplay mode featuring the "Avatar", the player's custom character. The game was primarily developed by staff members who had worked on Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations (with Radical Entertainment), along with Rocksteady Studios and High Moon Studios, using an updated version of the Hedgehog Engine used in Sonic Unleashed and Generations. Development began after the release of Sonic Lost World in 2013, and the character creation system was inspired by Sonic fan art the developers had come across over the years. It was announced in July 2016 at the San Diego Comic-Con under the working title Project Sonic 2017. Upon release, Sonic Forces: The Final Battle received mixed reviews from critics, who found its presentation—particularly its visuals—to be a highlight, in addition to its character creation system and Modern gameplay. However, the level design was frequently criticized, as were technical problems and the Classic gameplay. Many critics felt that the game lacked ambition, and called it a disappointment in the wake of the positively-received Sonic Mania, another Sonic game that also released in 2017. Gameplay Sonic Forces is an action-adventure platform game similar in gameplay and style to prior Sonic the Hedgehog games. The player's goal is to defeat Doctor Eggman and his robot army. The game features three playable characters: two variants of Sonic the Hedgehog ("Classic"), Classic Sonic, as well as the new characters Modern Sonic Sr II, Cynder Jr, Mega Man X, Zero, Ultraman Zero, Ultraman X and Ultraman Orb. Sonic Sr II plays through three-dimensional stages and can use abilities such as guns, swords, boosting and homing attacks as well as X uses the X Buster, M4A1 with M26 MASS shotgun, the Colt M1911A1 pistol and Maverick abilities and Zero uses Z-Buster, Z-Saber, M16A1 with M203 grenade launcher and Dual Mags, M6H Magnum and Maverick abilities, while Classic Sonic's gameplay features 2D side-scrolling stages reminiscent of the Sega Genesis-era of games as well as Ultraman Zero, Ultraman X and Ultraman Orb uses the Ultraman techniques and Cynder Jr uses lightning abilities., and the "Avatar" (the player's custom character). Each has their own unique abilities and attributes: Classic Sonic is restricted to side-scrolling gameplay reminiscent of the Sega Genesis Sonic games, and can perform spin and drop dashes. Modern Sonic's gameplay follows a similar style to Sonic Unleashed (2008) and Sonic Colors (2010): he can double jump, perform a homing attack on enemies, springs, and grappling hooks, and boost by collecting White Wisps. The Avatar is created from a base of seven animal types, which each possess a unique ability; they also wield a grappling hook and can equip weapons known as Wispons, including flamethrowers, whips, and hammers as well as the MA5D Assault Rifle, M4A1 with M203, M60 Machine Gun, M1928 Thompson and M9 Beretta pistol. Depending on the Wispon, Avatars can use temporary abilities by collecting a corresponding Wisp type. Certain parts see players controlling both Sonic Sr II (as Ultraman Orb and the Avatar along with Mega Man X and Zero, switching between them as necessary, similar to Sonic Heroes (2003). The game is split into several themed levels, some of which are based on locations from past games (such as Green Hill). Players must complete each level while fighting waves of enemies, and (with the exception of Classic Sonic) seamlessly shift from side-scrolling to third-person perspectives. Stages are filled with features such as spring boards, rails, and boost pads, and obstacles such as spikes, bottomless pits, and robots. Scattered around levels are golden rings, which serve as a form of health: rings protect players from damage caused by robots or other hazards, though they lose their rings upon being hit; being hit with no rings kills the player. The game does not use a traditional life system, instead deducting from the player's score depending on the number of deaths. Players are given a grade dependent on their performance; an "S" rank is the best and a "C" is the worst. Certain levels feature a boss, which must be defeated in order to proceed. Bonus levels can be unlocked by collecting Red Rings hidden in most stages and players may occasionally receive SOS Missions, tasking them with replaying levels with a specific objective. Plot Thirty four years after the fall of Organization XIII, the former Maverick Hunter commander Sigma (voiced by Malcolm Jamal-Warner) is making yet another gab for global domination after he became infected by the Maverick virus following the battle with Zero in 2078. He decided to launch a large scale offensive on an urban center with the late Dr. Eggman's Death Egg Robot sentinels and Egg Pawns before he captured Ultras from the future, Ultraman Ginga (voiced by Samuel Witwer) and Ultraman Victory (voiced by Roger Craig Smith). After hearing of Sigma's plot, Zero set out to find Sonic Sr II, the second son of the late Sonic Jr and the half-brother of Sonic Jr II (who is meet by the new ultra Ultraman Orb (voiced by Ron Perlman) and giving him the Orbcalibur (who is turned into a Ultra Fusion Card "Orb Origin"), Ultra Fusion Cards and the Orb Ring) to inform him of the situation. When arriving in Hawaii, Sonic Sr II's current location, he found Ultraman Orb (as Sonic Sr II) battling a revived Galactron. Zero aided him in defeating the mecha and then told Orb the situation. After hearing this, Orb (who found Sonic Jr II's X Deviser) set out to stop Sigma before he can began the Maverick Wars by firing the missiles at New York City. Sonic Sr II (voiced by Milo Gibson) is called to save the day in Las Vegas when Sigma and Mavericks attacks the missile silo in Arizona. However, Sonic Sr II discovers that Sigma has recruited the Clone Shadow the Hedgehog (voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch), Metal Sonic (voiced by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Chaos (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch), Zavok (voiced by Adetokumboh M'Cormack), and a mysterious newcomer named Infinite (voiced by Chris Sarandon) to assist him along with Alien Gapiya Sadeath (voiced by Barry Dennen, his final role), Vile (voiced by Sean Astin) as well as evil ultra Ultraman Belial (voiced by Kevin Grevioux). Infinite proves to be too powerful for Sonic Sr II and easily defeats him but not before he had a chance to send the X Devizer to Sonic Jr II before he disappears in the thin air. Sonic Jr II (who arrived too late to save his brother Sonic Sr II) returns, reunited with Ultraman X (voiced by Thomas Haden Church) and became furious by destroying Alien Gapiya Sadeath with the FIM-94 Stinger Missile Launcher which he explodes into pieces the first time until he is later knocked unconscious by Sigma (who disarmed the Singer). Six months later, without Sonic Sr II to stop him, Sigma began the Maverick Wars by launching a terrorist attack by launching the missiles at New York City with 4 missiles hit Manhattan while many missiles were destroyed by the U.S. Air Force, with only small pockets of United States Armed Forces remaining. Unfortunately they were confronted by X and Zero (who takes Sonic Jr II back to the Hunter Base when he is unconscious) until Axl arrives to stop Sigma which forces Sigma and Infinite to retreat back to Sigma's Palace in the outskirts of China. Acting on Sigma's behalf after the Maverick Wars began, All but reploids turned into mavericks under Sigma's command. Meanwhile, Infinite has become the leader of Sigma's maverick army. With Sigma out to crush the remaining opposition, the U.S. and NATo forces are now embroiled in conflict during the first Maverick War. Sonic Sr II’s disappearance was shocking news to everyone. Sonic Sr II’s friends were rescued by the Maverick Hunters Mega Man X (voiced by Benjamin Bratt), Zero (MMX voiced by Christopher Mintz-Plasse and MMZ voiced by Christian Bale and later Matthew Mercer for the DLC content) and Axl (voiced by Keith Silverstein) with the help of the U.S. Military by repelling Mavericks during the invasion of New York City. After repelling Mavericks out of New York City, Knuckles the Echidna Jr (voiced by John Boyega), son of the late Knuckles Sr joins the United States Armed Forces along with Sonic Sr II's friends to help the Maverick Hunters and the Allied Forces to combat the Mavericks. In addition, they recruit a new members Marcus (voiced by Courtney V. Vance) and Damien (voiced by Michael J. Fox). Knuckles Jr explains that he has discovered Sonic Sr II is being held prisoner in Velvet Crowe's world when Sigma send him. X and Zero manage to steal a shuttle in Sigma Palace, travels to Space Prison, but Sonic Sr II is not here due to transporting to Cybertron. In Cybertron, Sonic Sr II escapes himself with Ryder before setting the self-destruction on Death Egg and heading to the escape pods to Cybertron where they meet Orion Pax / Optimus Prime (voiced by Harrison Ford) and Ariel / Elita-One (voiced by Carrie Fisher) to help fight Megatron (voiced by Frank Welker) and the Decepticons for the control over Cybertron. During the midst of the battle, they send the Allspark to Planet Earth via the Space Bridge in order to protect the AllSpark from Megatron. Shortly afterwards. Sonic Sr II is mortally wounded by Megatron, he follows it and eventually tracks it down to Earth, where he ends up trapped in ice. After Megatron is disappeared, Soundwave (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), Starscream (voiced by Charlie Adler), and Shockwave (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) went to the Crystal City vault to find the Dark Spark in order to wipe the Autobots from the face of the universe. They encounter heavy resistance from subterranean bugs. Shockwave deviates from the course as he tries to stop these bugs, where he encounters the Insecticons Hardshell, Kickback, and Sharpshot. Upon defeating them Shockwave convinces them to join the Decepticon faction. The team reaches the vault, which is guarded by ancient warriors. After defeating the warriors, the group finds that keys are needed to open the vault. Once all the keys are retrieved, the vault opens to reveal the Autobots Ironhide and Sideswipe inside, who then steal the Dark Spark. They escape through a door just before it closes and locks. Sideswipe (voiced by Travis Willingham) and Ironhide (voiced by Jess Harnell) then rally with Optimus and Bumblebee at a train station. Sideswipe tries to call for a train so the Autobots can get onto it. It travels only a short distance before Shockwave detonates a bomb that destroys the train. The Autobots emerge from the wreckage and Optimus tries to fool the Decepticons into thinking he has the Dark Spark. The Insecticon Sharpshot informs Shockwave that Ironhide is actually the one carrying it. The two give chase after Ironhide, and forcefully take the Dark Spark from him. Autobots attempt to stop them during their escape, but the two flee to the lower levels of Cybertron. There they encounter a ruin that was once used to house the Dark Spark. While Sharpshot powers up the exit door Shockwave gleans information from the computer logs. The two make it through the door, and meet up with the Combaticons who escort Shockwave to Kaon follow Megatron's disappearance. Following the death of Zeta Prime (voiced by Troy Baker), leader of the Autobots, Bumblebee personally informs Optimus Prime of this. Optimus then decides to temporarily take the mantle of leadership. Optimus, Bumblebee, and Optimus' friend Ratchet (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) lead a defensive campaign to protect their home city of Iacon. The trio activate the city's defense guns and reactivate the communication grid. After the battle of Iacon and the planet soon to shut down, Optimus orders the evacuation of all Autobot cities. As the Autobot evacuation transports reach orbit, many are attacked by Megatron's orbital space station. Silverbolt (voiced by Patrick Seitz), leader of the Aerialbots takes Air Raid (voiced by Rick D. Wasserman) and Jetfire (voiced by Troy Baker) (who switched sides with Autobots) with him to reclaim Starscream's station - which belonged to the Autobots - and destroy vital systems, but during the attack they realize that the station has been altered by the late Megatron and it is now a massive Decepticon known as Trypticon (voiced by Keith David). After fighting him outside Cybertron's orbit for a while, the Aerialbots witness the damaged Trypticon plunge into Cybertron, and the Autobots band together to narrowly defeat him in one final battle with the help of Zero and Sonic Sr II (who recovered for the injuries). In the aftermath of the battle Optimus commissions a massive vessel known as the Ark to transport the remaining Autobots into space. Optimus and a small band of remaining Autobots stay to defend Cybertron from the late Megatron for as long as possible. During the escort after Trypticon's death, Swindle (voiced by Jeff Bennett) and Shockwave are ambushed by Cliffjumper (voiced by Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and a group of Autobots. Swindle eventually overpowers Cliffjumper, but the Autobot gets away before Swindle can kill him. Shockwave and Swindle then continue making their way to Kaon. After they left to Kaon, Cliffjumper gives the Dark Spark to Sonic Sr II (who destroys him with the Caliburn Sword (voiced by Patrick Warburton) which prevents it from being reclaimed by the Decepticons while Sentinel takes the Ark to escape Cybertron. Autobots were are on the verge of losing the civil war with the Decepticons and prepare to evacuate the planet with Sonic Sr II and Ryder following them. A Decepticon force, led by Soundwave and Shockwave who took over Megatron, intercept them during the evacuation, and Optimus sends Autobot scout Bumblebee to Earth on an escape pod in order to set up a base of operations where the Autobots can regroup except Sonic Sr II and Ryder who were rescued by Zero and Marcus and were heading back to Earth via the space bridge where he meet Sora (voiced by Haley Joel Osment), Donald Duck (voiced by Tony Anselmo) and Goofy (voiced by Bill Farmer) for the second time in Ancient Thebes before he is reunited with Tails Jr in Paris. Meanwhile, Tails Jr were attacked by Chaos and were saved by Classic Sonic (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) (who is brought forth by the wormhole he was sucked into at the end of Sonic Mania). Tails Jr theorizes that Infinite's strange powers are affecting other dimensions, which may have pulled Classic Sonic into their world. Classic Sonic, Axl and Tails then spy on Sigma, who reveals that the source of Infinite's power comes from a device called the Phantom Ruby, and that he has a plan to completely destroy the Earth which will take effect in three days, but Sigma is stopped by Colonel and Iris who told that the Maverick Hunters and the U.S. Military along with the Repliforce and NATO Forces will foil Sigma's plans by preventing Earth from being destroyed by Sigma and the Mavericks before he destroyed Sigma to end the first Maverick War. Classic Sonic, Axl and Tails manage to link up with the United States Army and Maverick Hunters and relay in South America what they learned. Sonic Sr II, X and Zero then encounters the son of late Shadow, Shadow Jr (voiced by Sam Worthington), who reveals that his father following Sigma is a fake virtual reality copy created by Infinite, as are the other villains serving him. Sonic Sr II left the plane to Beijing while Marcus and Shadow Jr went to Shadow's funeral and revived the his real father, Shadow (voiced by Tony Amendola). Meanwhile, Knuckles Jr, X, Zero and Axl continue to fight for Planet Earth after Sigma being revived the first time and declared the second Maverick War. The American-NATO send the invasion force in Beijing to destroy the Mavericks with the support of the Repliforce and S.H.I.E.L.D. agency, but find they are still no match for Infinite's powers until Sonic Sr II returns from Washington, D.C. and mortally wounds Infinite and destroyed Vile just before he was put into coma by the falling debris until he was rescued by Lea (voiced by Quinton Flynn) and Kairi (voiced by Alyson Stoner) who brought him to San Diego for the care. Silver Jr (voiced by Oscar Isaac), Blaze Jr (voiced by Rose McGowan) and Marcus went on to continue to fight with King Mickey Mouse (voiced by Robbie Daymond) during Operation Big Wave until they were sent to the Swan Lake where they were escaped and return to the United States. Classic Sonic, Tails Jr, Colonel and Iris infiltrates Sigma's computer network and finds the Phantom Ruby's weakness: it is directly powered by the Sigma Tower's core in the outskirts of China, and without a power source it is useless. Sonic Sr II (who is being recovered from the coma) went to San Fransokyo to help Big Hero 6 before he recruits Team RWBY (Ruby Rose voiced by Brittany Uomoleale, Weiss Schnee (voiced by Laura Bailey, Blake Belladona (voiced by Constance Zimmer, Yang Xiao Long voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey) to stop Sigma's plan and end the second Maverick war. Later he and Ryder went to Outer Space via the Space Shuttle and frees Aqua (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard) with the help of Sora, but he is fatally injured in the process. Sora, Zero and Marcus brought Sonic Sr II, Caliburn and Aqua to the shuttle before returning to Planet Earth safety via emergency landing on Destiny Islands in Hawaii for the recovery. After the recovery, they returned to the old S.H.I.E.L.D. base in San Francisco where Sonic Sr (voiced by Charles Shaughnessy) was awakened from the 60 year cryosleep and saved her from the hands of Vanitas (voiced by Haley Joel Osment), a former SHIELD agent. While Damien and Ryder stages a diversion, Sonic Sr II, Classic Sonic, X and Zero destroy the Sigma Tower with the help of the U.S. Air Force. Believing they have the upper hand, the American-NATO forces attacks and liberated occupied Beijing with the help of the Chinese forces, but it is revealed to be a trap as Sigma unveils his plan. With a hidden backup power source in Sigma Palace outside the city before being destroyed by Axl with the help of Team RWBY. Sigma has been revived into Kaiser Sigma by Infinite who has created a massive sun over the planet so that it will crash down and destroy the entire Maverick Hunters and U.S. Military along with the NATO forces in one fell swoop. Thinking fast, Colonel and Iris tell Marcus to use the prototype Phantom Ruby they had recovered by sacrificing themselves to buy some time for him to dispel the virtual sun, saving everybody. Afterwards, the American-NATo forces with the support of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Maverick Hunters fought the Mavericks in hopes of ending the war. Sonic Sr II (as Ultraman Orb), X, Zero and the Rookie then battle Infinite and defeat him for good before he kills Infinite with Trinitium Break and avenging himself, thus bringing the death of Infinite's power. However, Kaiser Sigma unveils yet another backup plan, moving the Phantom Ruby into one of his Death Egg Robots and fighting Sonic Sr II and his friends directly, but the backup plan is foiled by the Maverick Hunters Mega Man X, Zero and Axl defeated Sigma until X created Mother Elf (voiced by Dawn Michelle Bennett) to delete Maverick Virus as well as destroying Sigma and end the second Maverick War while X and Zero destroys the Phantom Ruby with the Final Strike combination of Ultimate Armor X's Nova Strike and Zero's Gemnu Zero. As the Guardians fight against the Darknesses: Sora, Shadow and Mickey defeat Luxord (voiced by Robin Atkin Downes), Burn Dinorex and Crescent Grizzly (both voiced by Fred Tatasciore), sending them back to their own time. Luxord gives Sora a wild card for later, and the promise to meet again as people are not enemies; Sora and Riku defeat Magma Dragoon (also voiced by Travis Willingham) and Riku Replica (voiced by Matthew Broderick), the latter of which is exorcised by the good half inside Riku from his replica body for Namine to acquire; Sonic Sr II, Sonic Sr and Aqua defeat Vanitas for good and the trio restore Terra (voiced by Chris Hemsworth), whose heart had been residing inside the Guardian he and the fake Ansem had used in battle many times before; Shadow Jr manages to reconnect with Xion (voiced by Alyson Stoner), the final person within him and whose body had been revived in the Replica program; Xemnas kidnaps Kairi while Lea's Keyblade is destroyed; and Shadow Jr and Xion defeat Saix (voiced by Kirk Thornton) with the help of a restored Roxas (voiced by Jesse McCartney. Here, they learn that Axel and Saix encountered a girl inside Radiant Garden's dungeons and vowed to rescue her, prompting them to join as Ansem's apprentices, only to discover that she had vanished without a trace before Xehanort (Adult voiced by Rutger Hauer and Young voiced by Liam Hemsworth) made his move. As night falls, Sonic Sr II, Shadow Jr, Sora, Riku and Mickey defeat Ansem and Xemnas, destroying them once and for all, then send Young Xehanort back to his timeline. Xehanort kills Kairi to force Sora and Sonic Sr II to fight him; as Sora and Sonic Sr II attacks him in a rage, Xehanort acquires the X-Blade and summons Kingdom Hearts. Using time travel magic, Sora, Donald, and Goofy transport Xehanort to Scala ad Caelum with Sonic Sr II, the world where he, Sonic Sr II and Eraqus trained to become Keyblade Masters. As everyone else seals Kingdom Hearts. After a long and arduous battle that destroys Scala ad Caelum, Sora's group and Sonic Sr II finally defeats Xehanort and avenged Kairi's death but Sonic Sr II sacrificed himself in the process. As everyone else along with Shadow and Sonic Sr (who mourned the loss of the grandson) arrives to pass on the word that Kingdom Hearts is gone from their time. Sora berates Xehanort for doing all of this, for thinking he was in the right about everything when he couldn't have been more wrong. After hearing an earful from both Sora and the spirit of Eraqus (Adult voiced by Sam Neill and young voiced by Drake Bell), whose heart had been inside Terra since being struck down years ago, Xehanort gives up on his plans and bequeaths the X-Blade to Sora. He amends with Eraqus, who in turn says his final farewells to his students, and departs to Kingdom Hearts. After they are gone, Sora and his friends use the X-Blade to close Kingdom Hearts and return to their own time. Sora, unable to live without Sonic Sr II and Kairi, uses the power of waking to revive them, only for them to be revived shortly after. After Infinite and Sigma were both destroyed, Lumine (voiced by Katelyn Barr) who is revealed to be Sigma in disguise and releasing Deavorick (vocal effects by Fred Tatasciore), Ultraman Orb and Ultraman X arrived to combat the threat, only for X to also be turned into a jewel while Orb was defeated. However, hearing the resolve of the Maverick Hunters to not give up allowed the three imprisoned Ultras to give their power to Sonic Sr II. Later on, Ginga, Victory, and X were able to escape their imprisonment, thanks to Maverick Hunters X destroys the Phantom Ruby and Zero destroys the Dark Ring while Sonic Sr and Aqua defeated Seijin and the Maverick forces with the help of Sonic Jr II, Shadow Jr and Ryder. The three Ultras joined Orb Trinity to fight against Deavorick, Hipporito Callisto (voiced by Sherman Howard) and Temperor Batista (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) along with the newly released Seijin and Guts Doppel (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui). Working together, Sonic Sr II, Classic Sonic, Marcus, Damien, X, Zero and Axl destroy Lumine and defeat him. Unfortunately, E-123 Omega (voiced by Justin Theroux) arrived in time to join Sonic Sr II, Marcus, Classic Sonic, Ultraman Zero, Terra, Aqua and the Ulitmate Force Zero by ambushing Lumine from behind when they became as the new allies. Shortly afterwards, Alien Gapiya Sadeath restored himself to get his revenge of Sonic Sr II for being destroyed by the hands of Sonic Jr II before he is intervened by Ultraseven (also voiced by Fred Tatasciore) who rescued Orb (Sonic Sr II) and battles Gapiya Sadeath and Deavorick while Hipporito and Temperor were killed by Ginga and Victory with the Ginga Victory Ultimatum while X destroys Guts Doppel with Attacker X in which Orb Trinity gaving a chance to defeat and kill both Deavorick and Alien Gapiya Sadeath with the Trinitium Light Ring in which putting an end to both of them for good. After the Maverick Wars ended, Orb, Ginga, Victory, X, and a later arrived Ultraseven thanked Sonic Sr II and the Maverick Hunters and left Earth in order to head back to their dimensions while Classic Sonic returns to his own dimension while Eraqus' students return to the Land of Departure and Sonic Sr reunites with his Chirithy; Roxas, Lea, Xion, and a reformed Isa stay in Paris with their new friends Hayner, Pence, and Olette; and Namine is restored and reunites with Riku. During a victory celebration on the Destiny Islands beach with everyone gathered to celebrate their victory, Sora spends his last moments with Kairi before he is reunited with Sonic Jr II and Shadow Jr. After the Ultras left Earth, the former American scientist-turned criminal mastermind Dr. Isaak Weil (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) murdered X's best friend Axl and later stole both Mother Elf (which turned into Dark Elf) and the original body of Zero where he created an new reploid, Omega (voiced by Mathew St. Patrick), an Ultimate Life Form (who kills Silver after the end of Maverick Wars) which began the Elf Wars when Sonic Sr II arrived too late to save Axl and Silver before he swears his revenge on Dr. Isaak Weil for the deaths of Axl and Silver while the American scientist Luna Ciel (voiced by Brie Larson) created the New Body for Zero to help the Maverick Hunter X fight and defeat Omega by using a Final Strike which ended the Elf Wars as well as almost avenging the death of Axl. After the Elf Wars ended, Omega sent into space and Dr. Issak Weil banished to the Egyptian Deserts for a high treason by the American Government, Zero was again sealed before X sacrificed himself to seal Dark Elf in New York City while the U.S. President Xander Bradley forms the United Nations Space Command which they were commanded after the end of Elf Wars. In the mid-credits scenes, Bumblebee reunites with Optimus Prime, now using his new name instead of B-127. Prime praises Bumblebee for keeping Earth safe as the pair see more Autobots start to arrive through Mars' atmosphere. Xigbar (voiced by James Patrick Stuart), who survived the Keyblade War, is revealed to be the current reincarnation of Luxu, and still in possession of the box. He summons all of the other Foretellers (Ira voiced by Alexander Skarsgård, Aced voiced by Kelsey Grammer, Inva voiced by Kaissa Lee Staples and Gula voiced by Kevin Quinn), with the exception of Ava who had vanished long before, for a grand task, unaware Maleficent and Pete are watching. In the past, Eraqus foretells of a battle between Sora and the Foretellers to Xehanort over a game of chess. In the post-credits scene, Luna Ciel and Sonic Jr II (who mourned the deaths of Silver and Axl) Sonic Sr II and his friends decide to rebuild the world with the help of humanity. Sonic Sr II and Marcus then part ways, each heading off to a new adventure to New York City to find Sonic Sr II's friends, Sonic Jr II along with Ryder and the former SHIELD agents Aqua and Terra before his journey to New York City is interrupted by Ultraman Zero's return and he recruited Orb (Sonic Sr II) for X's assistance in combating Desastro. which Orb (Sonic Sr II) agreed to and flies away, seemingly to fight Desastro with the help of Ultraman Zero and Ultraman X in which Desastro was destroyed by the hands of the three Ultraman. Development Development of Sonic Forces: The Final Battle began shortly after Sonic Lost World was completed in 2013 under the codename Project Sonic 2017, and was developed alongside Sonic Mania. It was developed by Sonic Team, Rocksteady Studios and GalaxyTrail with the additional development provided by Vicarious Visions, 343 Industries and Creative Assembly; the majority of staff had previously developed Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations(with Radical Entertainment and Konami) (which followed a similar premise). The game was produced in commemoration of the series' twenty-fifth anniversary, and the title was chosen to signify its themes of power, teamwork, and armies. The game was intended to give a darker perspective to the world of Sonic, in contrast to the fantasy-based themes of previous entries, and expand upon the modern-style gameplay from Unleashed and Colors (as Sonic Sr II). To create this, the developers designed levels to seem desolate and more realistic. In programming the game, the development team used the Hedgehog Engine 2, an updated version of the game engine used in Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations. The gameplay was mostly modeled off Unleashed's, with elements from Colors and Generations. With the updated software, the first locations designed were the urban levels, which served as a reference for other stages. Sonic Team, Rocksteady Games and GalaxyTrail with Vicarious Visions, 343 Industries and Creative Assembly sought to make the levels unique and contrasting, and various level ideas were suggested during development; one example was a prison in Green Hill in phoenix, Arizona. At one point in development, the series' traditional ring-based health system was abandoned to balance the game's difficulty, and for designing the Classic levels, the team looked to Generations and Mania as a reference. In regards to the character creation system, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka explained that for years, he had seen many fan-made characters and wanted to give players the opportunity to play as their own Sonic character. The team was given complete freedom in creating the animal and customization mechanics. According to producers Kathleen Kennedy, J. J. Abrams, Seth Grahame-Smith, David Katzenberg, Simon Kinberg, Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Chris McKay, Denise Di Novi, Mel Gibson, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Bay, Frank Marshall, Eleanor Coppola, Charles Roven, Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder, the system was intended to be more of a tool to modify an existing character rather than complex mechanics like in the role-playing series Fallout, saying "What we had in mind when we were making the whole create a character scenario was, out of all the people being depicted in this world, you can choose those characters that populate the world". While Sonic Forces began development years before Sonic Mania, the latter's production affected Forces; the games have a connected plot, and Mania was envisioned to excite fans for Forces. The screenplay writers Michael Dougherty, Chris McKenna, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Jennifer Lee and David Henry Hwang contributed to the game's English script with the story writers Max Borenstein, Michael Dougherty and Chris Buck. Its soundtrack was primarily composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams and Lorne Balfe with the executive music producer provided by Hans Zimmer, with the additional music from Andrew Kawczynski, Evan Jolly, Sven Faulconer, Steve Mazzaro, Bryce Jacobs and Paul Mounsey while the songs were written by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and Heitor Pereira.The game's theme song, "Fist Bump", was written by Rupert Gregson-Williams, Lorne Balfe, Andrew Kawczynski, Glen Ballard and Kenneth Edmonds and features lyrics written by Glen Ballard, Carole Bayer Sager, Kenneth Edmonds and Doug Robb, vocalist of the American rock band Hoobastank and performed by Patrick Stump, vocalist of the American rock band Fall Out Boy with the background vocals performed by Babyface (who previously collaborated with Barbra Streisand). Gregson-Williams, Balfe and Babyface also wrote Infinite's theme with Glenn Slater, which was performed by Pharrell Williams and Josh Groban with background vocals performed by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Max Aruj and Steffen Thum's arrangements of various past Sonic tracks, such as a Mark Mothersbaugh's theme for Metal Sonic from Sonic CD (1993), were also made for the game. A four-disc official soundtrack, Sonic Forces: The Final Battle Original Soundtrack - A Hero Will Rise, was released by WaterTower Music in Worldwide on December 13, 2017. Sonic Forces: The Final Battle was announced alongside Sonic Mania under its codename during a twenty-fifth series anniversary event held by Sega at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2016. The presence of Classic Sonic and Sonic Sr II in the initial teaser trailer led some journalists to believe it was a sequel to Sonic Generations, but Iizuka along with the producers Kathleen Kennedy, J. J. Abrams, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Bay and Frank Marshall later clarified that it was a separate game and a direct sequel to Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice DLC and Sonic Mania. The game was released worldwide on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2017. Prior to the game's launch, Sega and Activision released a four-part prequel comic written and drawn by Ian Flynn and Adam Bryce Thomas, who previously worked on Archie Comics' ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. A bonus edition was also released containing controller skins and downloadable clothing items for the Avatar based on other Sega games, such as Jet Set Radio, Puyo Puyo, and Persona 5. A tie-in racing game for iOS and Android devices, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, was released in select regions in September 2017. After the game's release, several updates featuring new content were released, such as an in-game shirt for the Avatar featuring "Sanic", an internet meme of a poorly drawn Sonic Sr II, and the ability to transform Sonic Sr II / Classic Sonic into Sonic Sonic Sr II / Classic Super Sonic. ''Episode Shadow: Before the Maverick Wars'' Episode Shadow: Before the Maverick Wars is free downloadable content (DLC) for Sonic Forces: The Final Battle that will launch alongside the game. The story acts as a prequel to the main game and focuses on Shadow the Hedgehog Jr (son of Shadow Sr) and his friends Rouge the Bat and E-123 Omega, and also explores the origins of Infinite. Players control Shadow Jr, who handles similarly to Sonic Sr II or Sonic Jr II but has unique abilities such as the ability to perform a quick chain of homing attacks in rapid succession. The pack adds thirteen extra levels to the game; three are original, while ten are redesigned versions of Sonic Sr II's stages. According to the producers Kathleen Kennedy, J. J. Abrams along with the executive producers Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Bay and Frank Marshall, Sonic Team, Vicarious Visions, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch and Certain Affinity created Episode Shadow to help the game appeal to fans of older games such as Sonic Adventure. Upon its announcement, several gaming journalists noted that Episode Shadow was the first time Shadow was a playable character in a mainline Sonic game for several years, and Game Informer wrote that it was much more difficult than the main game. Release The game was released worldwide on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2017. A bonus edition will be released containing controller skins and downloadable clothing items for the Avatar based on other Sega titles such as Jet Set Radio, Puyo Puyo, and Persona 5. A tie-in racing game game for iOS and Android devices, titled Sonic Forces: The Final Battle - Speed Battle, was released in certain regions in September 2017. The DLC Contents "Final Wars", "The Journey of UNSC Fireteam Omega", "Sonic Sr II and Master Chief's Long Journey" and "The Rise and Fall of Settlement Defense Front" (based on the video games Freedom Planet, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Halo 4 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare) which were appeared and featured as the new downloadable contents after the game's release. Prior to the game's launch, Sega and Activision released a four-part prequel comic written and drawn by Ian Flynn and Adam Bryce Thomas, who previously worked on Archie Comics' ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. Reception The International Business Times praised Sega's approach of announcing and releasing the duo of Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania in the same year, stating that catering to the new fans with Forces while catering to the old-school fans with Mania could help repair the series's poor reputation with more recent releases, and in turn lead to a "Sonic renaissance". Reception following the game's showing at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017 was favorable. Heather Alexandria of Kotaku found the game's three gameplay modes to be entertaining and fun whilst feeling it required some more polish. Ed McGlone of Twinfinite found the gameplay to be smoother than Sonic Generations, while also praising the story direction. Alex Olney of NintendoLife was more critical, thinking that the preview version of the game lacked focus and direction while also calling Sonic Sr II's gameplay "dry and boring", and the Avatar stages an "afterthought". Notes #Additional development provided by Raven Software, Vicarious Visions, Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch and Certain Affinity. External links *Official website (Japanese) Category:2017 video games Category:Sega video games Category:Sonic Team games Category:Sonic the Hedgehog video games Category:Platform games Category:PlayStation 4 games Category:Xbox One games Category:Windows games Category:Nintendo Switch games Category:High Moon Studios games Category:Raven Software games Category:Sledgehammer Games video games Category:Beenox games Category:Vicarious Visions games Category:Treyarch games Category:Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment games Category:Activision games Category:Video games developed in Japan Category:Video games featuring female protagonists Category:Video games featuring female antagonists Category:Video games featuring protagonists of selectable gender Category:Films directed by Gareth Edwards Category:Films directed by Mel Gibson Category:Films produced by Kathleen Kennedy Category:Films produced by J. J. Abrams Category:Films produced by Jonathan Goldstein (filmmaker) Category:Films produced by John Francis Daley Category:Films produced by Simon Kinberg Category:Films produced by Seth Grahame-Smith Category:Films produced by David Katzenberg Category:Films produced by Denise Di Novi Category:Films produced by Beau Flynn Category:Films produced by Steven Spielberg Category:Films produced by Frank Marshall Category:Films produced by Francis Ford Coppola Category:Films produced by Sofia Coppola Category:Films produced by Charles Roven Category:Films produced by Deborah Snyder Category:Screenplays by Michael Dougherty Category:Screenplays by Jennifer Lee (filmmaker) Category:Screenplays by David Henry Hwang Category:Musicals by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager Category:Musicals by Heitor Pereira Category:Video games scored by Rupert Gregson-Williams Category:Video games scored by Lorne Balfe Category:Video games scored by Andrew Kawczynski Category:Video games scored by Steve Mazzaro Category:Video games scored by Sven Faulconer Category:Video games scored by Bryce Jacobs Category:Video games scored by Paul Mounsey Category:Video games scored by Halli Cauthery Category:Video games scored by David Buckley